The third criterion: conference landscape

Note: This is the third of seven interrelated posts on how Louisville can keep Charlie Strong.

Simply put, for Charlie Strong to want to stay at Louisville, the Big East has to maintain its BCS bid. It looks like things on that front are stable at least for the near future, though if we learned anything from the most recent round of conference realignment shenanigans, it's how fast the stars can realign. In the worst case scenario, Louisville would have to perform its own realignment gymnastics in order to safeguard the future of the football program. But for now, as long as the Big East can hold on to its nucleus of schools (or adequately replace those that depart), Charlie Strong can compete for BCS bid and a national championship at Louisville. As Red has pointed out often, the fact that the Big East is not the most prestigious football conference in the land should be used to its advantage. In the Big East, Charlie Strong's Louisville teams can dominate; and if they do, they compete at the national level.